Main Hoon Na
by Lacertae Australis
Summary: "He told me not to tell anyone or he'd hurt them, and if something happened to you or to my family, Eli, I don't know what I'd do." A mysterious stranger finally helps Eli get over Clare, and he can't seem to get her off his mind. When she shows up as the new girl at Degrassi, their lives crash sweetly. But she holds an enormous danger, and all Eli wants to do is protect her.
1. Against the Grain

"When all the hard times outweigh the good,  
And all your words are misunderstood,  
When the day seems lost from the start  
You must follow your heart,  
You must follow your heart."

"Against the Grain" - City and Colour

* * *

"I really don't want to do this, guys." I grumbled, huffing as I leaned back in my seat. Adam and Drew had conjured me up a fake ID and we were headed to some club in downtown Toronto in an effort to get me over Clare.

"You might not know it yet, bro, but this is exactly what you need." Drew said, parking in some parking lot and all but ripping me from the car. Adam fell into step next to me as we walked towards a place with bright lights and obnoxiously loud music. I glared at Adam and he shrugged.

"Next time you need me for something, remember that you were in on this, Adam Torres." I said threateningly, to which he laughed. I shoved him and we got in line.

The bouncer didn't even take a second glance at our IDs, and in a moment we were weaving our way through the dense crowd. I made a B-line for an empty stool at the bar.

As I sat and spun around to face the dancing crowd, my eyes landed on a girl unlike any I had ever seen. Time slowed down as I took her in.

Her silky black hair fell in delicate waves down her back and around her face, moving fluidly as she danced with a passion. Her eyes were a warm amber-brown, wide and mesmerizing, set behind long black lashes. Her nose was thin and bird-like, her cheekbones were just the right amount of sharp and there was the slightest of creases in her chin, giving her a powerful look. Her lips were luscious and painted a tantalizing shade of red. I shivered as she rolled her hips. Oh god, those hips…

She was clad in nothing more than a cropped, black bustier, a short black skirt and black biker boots, showing off her amazingly long legs and flawless curves. I was gawking at her and I knew it, but as hard as I tried I couldn't look away. Everything about her was hypnotizing, and when she caught me staring, she gave a sexy smile that drew me to her more.

Was this a real thing? Feeling chemistry with someone you'd never met or touched, someone you'd just happen to glance at? Oh god, I felt so cliché talking about this. Of course it's not a real thing, I probably just missed Clare.

"Eli, I didn't bring you here so that you could sit there and look lonely all night!" Drew practically screamed, squeezing in next to me. I didn't respond right away, and he followed my gaze. He cracked a devious smile and I glared at him.

"No, Drew. Absolutely not."

"Too late!" He said, darting towards her. I reached out to try and grab his shirt, but missed, and clenched my hand into a fist stubbornly.

I watched as he approached her, and as he pointed towards me, and as she looked over, and as she laughed, and as she smiled, and as she nodded. And the next thing I knew, she was sliding onto the bar stool next to mine.

And she didn't say a word.

"Um, hi?" I said questioningly, leaning closer to her. She looked up at me and smiled.

"Hi."

"I'm, uh, I'm Eli." She only nodded. "And you are?"

"Names aren't that important." She answered, tucking some loose strands behind her ear and looking at me. "Look, you look like you don't want to be here, and I've got a car and a full tank of gas and a place I think you'd really like."

Nothing about her proposal was suggestive, and I liked that. She was just being genuinely nice and some little voice in the back of my head said that that's what I needed.

"Sure." She grasped my hand and before I knew it, she was tearing through the crowd and I was running to keep up with her. I caught Adam's eye and he gave me a thumbs up. I grinned.

"So, mystery girl, where are we going?" I asked, noticing that she hadn't let go of my hand even though the horde of the club was long behind us. She looked up at me from beneath her eyelashes.

"That'd take away the fun, now wouldn't it?" She said, stopping as we got to her car. Again, I found myself gawking. "Beauty, isn't he?"

"He?" I asked incredulously, eyeing the orange '67 Chevy Nova as she laughed.

"Of course it's a he, it's my car." She said, unlocking the door. "His names Altair."

"I thought names weren't important." I retorted, smirking as I walked around to the passenger side. She smiled.

"You got me there."

"So what did Drew say to you anyway?" She gave me a curious look.

"Who's Drew?"

"That guy who talked to you in the club. You know, mohawk? Dreamy blue eyes?"

"Oh that guy!" She said, shrugging. "Just that you were eyeing me."

"Really now?"

"Yup. But it's not like I didn't already know." She bit her lip in a playful way as she looked at me, and, not that I blush, but if I did blush, I would've had to stifle one at that moment.

"So why did you come over then?" What the fuck was I doing? In my gut I could feel that I was about to have a great night with this girl, and I was playing twenty questions and acting like a wuss instead of capitalizing on the opportunity.

"You looked like you needed some cheering up." She said honestly, and for the rest of the ride we sat in amiable silence.

"Okay close your eyes!" She said, turning onto a rough patch of road. It might not even have been road.

"I swear that if you kill me here with no one around, I will haunt you for the rest of your life." I joked, to which she giggled.

"I promise to make it quick."

A few minutes later, the car came to a stop and I heard her cut the engine and get out. My door opened and put a hand over my eyes as I stepped out. She led me a few steps and stopped.

"Okay, open up!" She said, and I did.

I was really, really glad that I'd agreed to this.

We were parked on some sort of cliff outside of Toronto, from which we could see almost all of the downtown area. It was brilliantly bright, but what was more amazing was the intensity of the stars. With all the light pollution from the city, I managed to glimpse a few here and there, but this was something else. Like someone had dropped a jar of glitter.

I heard a slam and turned around, realizing she'd been in her trunk. She walked back with a blanket and laid it down on the hood, climbing on and patting the spot next to her. I laid down next to her and she scooted closer to me.

"This is awesome." I said frankly, crossing my fingers behind my head.

"I know. I come up here when I need to clear my mind, or when I just need to be alone." She answered, gazing up at the stars. She looked over at me. "So, what's on your mind?"

"What do you mean?"

"Come on, you looked miserable in the club." I looked intensely at her, trying to see if she'd falter. She didn't flinch in the slightest, and I thought for a moment.

The underlying knowledge that I needed this little escape with this girl told me that what I really needed, more than the closure I'd already had, was to vent. To just get this entire ordeal off my chest so that I could be free of it. I had previously thought that I couldn't do that with anyone, but just in the compassionate way she looked at me, and the flicker in her eyes that said she really just wanted to help, let me know that she would be the one to free me.

"My girlfriend dumped me a couple months back, and it still lingers, you know?"

"What about it lingers?"

"Everything." She scooted closer again, letting me know she was listening. "I thought for so long that she was 'the one,' I did everything in my power to keep her by my side, and she left me because I'm 'too much to handle.' I mean, I know I'm too much to handle sometimes, but she was too, and I pushed through her difficult times because I wanted to badly to be with her, and for months I've constantly wondered what I did so badly as for her to give up. I didn't need her to fight for me or suffer for me as long as she was with me, I would've fought both of our battles and taken all of our suffering upon myself, as long as she was there. And now that she's not here I miss her and I'm getting bitter. I had never wanted someone's love so bad as I had when I was with her."

I sucked in a deep breath, realizing that I was out of air. I looked away from her so that she wouldn't see my watery eyes, and sniffed. I felt her grab my face and turn it back towards her. I breathed heavily as I met her gaze.

"You just have to remember that love and happiness lurk everywhere, and as long as you open yourself to them, they'll come to you." She said softly, letting her hand fall from my face. I sighed.

"I don't want any other love or any other happiness, though. I just want her."

"Then you're condemning yourself to misery." Her voice was soft and persuasive and despite my stubbornness I felt myself giving her my complete attention as she looked up at the sky. "The sooner that you realize that she understands the concept of happiness beyond you, the sooner that you can find happiness beyond her.

"There are a lot of people in this world, a lot of happiness and sadness and anger and a million other beautiful things waiting. But you're waiting, too. You're waiting for her to come back to you, and in doing that you're missing the bigger picture. Yeah, people can suck sometimes, but there is so much wonder in this world that you're missing out on if you get caught up in the occasional suckiness of mankind." She looked back down at me and smiled tenderly. I couldn't help but smile back.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is, heartbreak is natural, it's okay to be sad when we lose someone we love and care about, but it's necessary for you to conquer your sadness now, so that in your future you can experience all of the wonderful things life has to offer with happiness in your soul."

As she laid back on the hood, I felt extremely comforted. Moreover, I didn't feel the need to keep talking with her. The silence was warm and soothing, and while we'd occasionally glance at each other and smile or laugh, I could feel how content we both were in the comforting air.

I was happy.

After a couple hours outside, we hopped back into her car and started driving home. I noticed she was shivering a little, and took off my jacket. I should've known she'd been cold, it was winter after all.

"No, you don't need to give me that." She said softly, smiling, her teeth chattering. I laughed.

"I do. After all you did for me tonight, it's the least I can do to return the favor." She quickly slipped into the black leather and sighed in relief.

"Thank you." I nodded, and she said "and you smell good."

I laughed and in a few more minutes of silence we finally pulled up to my house.

"When do I get to see you again?" I asked, looking hopefully at her. She shrugged.

"Whenever our paths next cross." She said with a smile. "Don't you worry. I'm sure we'll be seeing each other around."

I nodded and leaned over the bench seat to kiss her cheek.

"Thank you." I said, getting out of the car.

"Wait! Your jacket!" She called after me. I turned around and shrugged.

"Give it to me when our paths next cross!"

* * *

Alright, another try! I really didn't like the story I published before this, or the one that I started to write. But then this idea came out and I've been rolling with it! I just want to see where it goes from here, because so far it's really fun. The title is in Hindi, it loosely means "I am here" and it's taken from the Bollywood movie _Main Hoon Na _(2004), although it doesn't have anything to do with the plot of the movie, and I do not have any affiliation or ownership of the movie itself. This story, however, and the original characters, are all mine. I hope you guys enjoy!


	2. Is This Real?

"Take my skin, we're diving in  
It doesn't make a difference if I sink or swim  
Theres a line drawn thin or, so they tell me  
I'll never know the difference if we sink or swim"

"Is This Real" - Saosin

* * *

"Where've you been?" Adam asked as I walked into school. It was the first day back after what had been one of the happiest vacations I've ever had.

"Dude, I prestige like three times in COD." I said, smirking as we walked towards my locker. He gave me a knowing expression and pointed at me.

"You guys did, didn't you!" He exclaimed, and I raised an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about?"

"You and sexy club girl, you guys did it!" I laughed at his excitement.

"Actually we didn't. She took me to this awesome place to look at the sky and we talked for a while. I haven't seen her since." I said, hesitating on the last part. Again, Adam had a knowing expression on his face.

"But you've been thinking about her." He said, nudging me as I popped my locker open. I rolled my eyes.

"How could I not think about someone who looked like that?" I asked, extinguishing the flame of his excitement with a final smirk. He laughed and that was the end of that.

The truth was that I hadn't stopped thinking about her since she dropped me off that night. Everything about her seemed to be ingrained in my head, and over the break, I'd been missing because I'd written an entire play in which she was the main character. But my hopes of ever seeing her again were dwindling and I hoped that getting back to school would get her out of my mind.

The five minute warning bell rang, a signal to get to class, and I bid Adam farewell as I started walking down the hall to English. As I was walking, I could've sworn that I saw mystery girl turn a corner away from me, her black hair the last thing to disappear around the corner, but even when I ran to see if it was really her, there was no one to be found, so I continued to my class.

I was obviously losing it. She must've been at least twenty five! What the hell would she have been doing at Degrassi?

I made it to English moments before the bell rang, plopping down in my seat and laying a notebook on my desk just to make it look like I was doing work. As I started scribbling on the page, there was a knock on the door, and everyone but me looked up.

"Hi, I'm so sorry to interrupt, is this Ms. Dawes' English class?" An unmistakable voice asked. I slowly looked up, taking in her long, jean-clad legs and oversized cream cardigan. Her silky black locks fell around her lovely face and she looked every bit as beautiful as she had in the club a couple weeks ago.

Mystery girl.

The train that was my mind struggled to get back on track as Ms. Dawes confirmed her question and said she must be the new student, to which mystery girl nodded. She stepped into the class.

"Class, today we have a new student." I suddenly felt like we were in kindergarten with this dumb introduction. "This is Meera Malhotra, please make her feel welcome."

So her name was Meera. Silently I rolled it off my tongue and liked the way it tasted.

"Meera, dear, you can have a sit in front of Eli. Eli could you raise your hand please?" I smirked as I put my hand up, noticing with satisfaction that there was just the slightest hint of surprise on her face. She walked briskly down the aisle between desks, hips swaying beautifully, and gracefully slid into the desk in front of me, turning her eyes to the front of the room. I leaned forward so my lips were by her ear.

"So your name's Meera." I whispered, noticing that she didn't shiver, but that the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. "And this is where our paths cross again."

"I guess so." She whispered back, turning slightly so that I could see her smile.

"Believe it or not, I missed you." I whispered again.

"I figured." She answered tossing her hair slightly. I smirked.

"Be my lunch buddy." I said, not really questioning. There was a part of me that new that we were already friends, but I felt like I needed to be a little sultry and I didn't know why.

"You got it." She said, making sure that I saw her bite her lip before turning back to the front of the class with finality. When class let out I plopped myself down on top of her desk before she could get away.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, immediately feeling stupid. She smiled.

"Going to school, what else?"

"I mean, aren't you like, twenty five?" She burst out laughing, earning a few looks from remaining students.

"I get that a lot, but I'm not. I'm eighteen." She said, standing up. I fell into step next to her.

"So you have a fake too, then."

"Absolutely, but it's not like I need it." She said, and I shoved her gently. "What? Even you, wise one, thought I was much older."

"You're right, but you're not humble."

"There's a difference between humility and honesty, in my opinion." She said, pulling out a piece of paper and looking at it.

"You have no idea where you're going, do you?" I asked, noticing her confused expression. She looked up at me and shook her head.

"Not a single clue." I snatched the paper from her hands and read it over.

"Come on, I'll take you to your next class." I said, turning down a hallway. Her eyes lit up.

"Really?" She asked happily. I smirked at her.

"No, I'm going to take you out back and shank you." She laughed and shoved me.

"Thanks, I needed that my first day in this monstrous school." I draped an arm over her shoulders and squeezed her to me.

"I won't let you get lost, fair maiden." She smiled up at me.

"Thanks, Eli."

After I dropped her off at the door of her Anatomy class, the rest of my morning classes seemed to be a blur. The next thing I knew, I was standing at my locker, absently getting my books for the afternoon. As I was shutting it, I looked down the hallway, and saw Mike Dallas hovering over Meera. He said something, and she rolled her eyes and tried to walk past him. He put a hand on her shoulder, and when she knocked it off, he replaced it with an iron grip I could see from where I stood. I slammed the door and started walking towards them, but before I could get there, I saw her hand shoot out and grasp his neck, her thumb pressing down on his Adam's apple.

"Did I fucking stutter?" She pressed down harder and he gagged a bit. "I said get lost."

She shoved him back with a strength I didn't think was possible for someone of her stature to possess, and he walked away, rubbing his throat and glaring at her. She 'hmph'ed, tossed her hair and began walking again. She saw me and smiled.

"Hey Eli." She said, falling into step with me.

"That," I said, jabbing my thumb in Mike's direction, "was fucking awesome."

"The guy's a thug. Some guys think every pretty girl's just waiting in line to suck their cock." I was taken aback by how blunt she was, and laughed. "They don't understand that some people have a little dignity. I happen to have a lot of dignity."

"Oh god, you are the greatest person ever." I said, feeling my eyes tear up as I laughed. We'd stopped in the hallway and she giggled along with me. When I'd stopped, I smiled at her. "You make me laugh, profusely. I like that a lot."

"Well good, because I'm a fucking weird person so I think you'll find me pretty entertaining." She said, starting to walk down the hallway, stopping at a locker. "I'm going to be super ironic and guess that my locker is right next to yours?"

"You'd be correct." I answered, leaning against my locker as she opened hers and began rummaging through. Once she'd picked up everything she needed, we headed towards the cafeteria.

"Hey, Eli!" Adam called, waving me over to where he was sitting. His jaw dropped when he saw that I was walking with 'sexy club girl,' and she laughed at his expression. Once we were seated, and she was rummaging through her bag for something, he elbowed me.

"Dude," he whispered harshly. "What?!"

"Adam, this is Meera," I said, answering him. She smiled and waved, a brown paper bag in front of her. "The girl I met at the club. She's new here."

"Nice to meet you!" She said, shaking his hand.

"You too." He said, still glancing incredulously at me.

"Oh, by the way, before he knew your name he addressed you as 'sexy club girl.'" I said, causing Adam's cheeks to flare up. He shoved me and we fought a little bit, until Fiona and Imogen approached and sat next to Meera.

"And who might this lovely lady be?" Fiona asked instantly, shooting me a quick look that said 'I don't know what you're thinking, but I definitely approve.'

"I'm Meera, Meera Malhotra." She said with an award-winning smile, sticking her hand out for Fiona to shake. She took it.

"I'm Fiona, and this is Imogen." Fiona answered. We all fell into amiable talk, and before I knew it, the bell was screaming for us to get to the next class. As we got up I quickly made my way to Meera's side.

"So, what do you say we hang out after school?" I asked, smirking at her. "I could order us a pizza, we could play some video games?"

"That sounds awfully tempting Mr. Goldsworthy, but what's in it for me?" She was teasing me and I knew it and I liked it. A lot.

"Well, if pizza wasn't enough, a little birdy once told me I smelled good." God damn, I felt so good saying that. I had no idea how I managed to make that sound sexy at all, but I did and I did it well and I saw the defiance in her eyes falter a bit.

Score one for Eli.

"You can slow your roll there, locomotion." She said, regaining her composure with a giggle. "That sounds awesome, Eli."

"I'll see you after school then, princess." I thought about kissing her head, but restrained, bowing briefly instead. She smiled.

"And I'll see you, brave knight."

* * *

So, the second chapter! I hope you guys like it so far, I'm pretty happy with how it's turning out, and I'm proud of myself because I've been writing second and third drafts of chapters if I don't like them. What I really want is to stretch my writing muscle, and if you guys are enjoying it, that means that it's working! Anyway, enjoy guys, more to come soon (:


	3. I Can't Wait

"What do you think you're trying to do?  
Do you really think I want to be left out girl?  
Who do you think you're trying to fool?"

"I Can't Wait" - The White Stripes

* * *

**Meera**

"How's your happy been?" I asked, sitting down across from Eli with a mocha. We'd driven to what he described as 'the local douchey hangout with pretty good coffee,' called The Dot, after school Friday. He smiled up at me and I smiled back.

"Amazing." He answered, searching for something to say. "That night with you was exactly what I needed."

To be honest, I had been scared when I dropped him off that night that I wouldn't see him again, because even as I drove away he was the only thing on my mind. Finding him in my English class was an _amazing_ feeling, and it was even more awesome that we'd grown so close over the past two weeks.

"So if you've lived in Toronto your whole life, where did you go before Degrassi?" He asked.

"I went to Immaculate Heart of Mary," his face screwed up at the mention of the Catholic school and I laughed. "Yeah, it was pretty shitty. Not many friends, lots of hazing."

"What? Why?" The look on his face was a little frightening, a mixture of anger and sadness and something else, and I place a hand on his to comfort him.

"'Cause I'm not white and I'm a confident, attractive woman." I answered, watching his face mellow. "It never affected me, and after a while the girls just gave up."

"What made you transfer here, of all places this side of town?"

"Well, my dad and my brother were being transferred to a different hospital, and we were moving closer, so I begged my brother to convince my dad to let me, because I was officially done with private schools."

"Didn't your mom help you out?" I felt a heavy pang in my chest and pulled my hand away from his, and, noticing my discomfort, he immediately changed the subject.

"Do you like it here then?"

"Like it? I love it!" I said enthusiastically. He laughed, and before I could finish, I something outside caught my eye, and I stood up, marching towards the thug picking on some kid outside.

"You're kidding me, right?" I asked, realizing it was the same kid who'd been trying to get into my pants since the first day I stepped foot in Degrassi. I shoved him away from the kid and stood between them. "Back off."

"Well, if it isn't Miss Meera," he said, stepping closer to me. I crossed my arms and shifted all my weight to one leg. "How's it going, babe?"

"It was great until you came along." I said, nodding at his crew. "It'd get better if you and your crew beat it."

"Oh baby, the only way I'll beat it is if you come with me." He reached for my waist, and I pulled on his wrist, slamming my fist into the side of his neck as he stumbled forward. He reeled back and a member of his crew caught him.

"Feisty," he slurred out. "I like it."

"If you don't want to end up like you're friend, I'd scram." I told his crew, and they hurriedly carried him away. I turned around to the kid on the ground and offered him my hand. He took it and I helped him up.

"Are you okay?" I asked. He nodded and gave a little smile.

"Yeah, thank you. That was really awesome." I laughed a little.

"What can I say, awesome runs in my veins."

"I'm Cam."

"I'm Meera," I answered, shaking his hand. I noticed Eli standing by the door, a little butthurt that I'd walked out on him, and smiled, wrapping my conversation with this kid up. "Those guys are just thugs, don't let them get to you. Get home safe, okay?"

"Will do." And he left.

"So, am I friends with the not-so-caped crusader of Degrassi now?" Eli joked, handing me my mocha and my coat. I put it on and looped my arm through his.

"Just someone with a hatred for bullying. I could put a cape on, though, and then I'd be a caped hater of bullying, if you'd like." He laughed and before we climbed into my car, I spotted the unmistakable makeup of my cousin.

"Alli!" I cried, breaking from Eli to haphazardly run towards her. She turned around, her eyes lighting up when she saw me.

"Meera!" She screeched, throwing her arms around me. "Where have you been?! I haven't even seen you at school yet!"

"It's because that place is fucking huge!" I replied, not letting go of her. "I missed the hell out of you, cuz."

"I missed you too!" She cried, squeezing me tighter. "When is your next show?!"

"The last Sunday of February, I think it's the twenty-fourth." I said, immediately regretting it as I felt Eli come up behind me.

"I'll be there." She said, kissing my cheek and dashing off with a blue-eyed brunette. I turned around to Eli with a smile, cautiously regarding his questioning expression.

"Show?" He asked, rocking once onto the balls of his feet. I sighed and hooked my arm through his.

"Ah, it's nothing." I replied, hoping to lead him from the subject.

"It doesn't sound like nothing." He pushed lightheartedly. "C'mon, Meera, you're not fooling me."

"I'm a showgirl of sorts at a Hindi theater downtown." I said, and his jaw dropped.

"Oh god, you're a stripper, aren't you?" He asked, a little loudly. I shushed him and smacked his arm.

"No!" I hissed, making him laugh. "Every couple of months we put on a short little show and I'm the main act. I dance and sing in Hindi, and after there's food and lassi and it's like a big celebration of being Indian."

"You do know that I'm not missing this, right?" He asked with a smirk, and I sighed.

"Yeah, I figured." I smiled, my mood changing. "You're in for a good one, this is one of my favorites so far."

"Well then I'm even more excited not to miss it." We climbed into my car and drove back to my house, since my brother and my dad were working night shifts that day.

"So it's not risqué at all?" He asked, and I hesitated.

"Well, a little." I admitted, and he raised an eyebrow. "I had to use my fake ID to get the job."

"Oh wow, that risqué!" He teased.

"Nooooo!" I whined. "Argh, you know what, we're going to watch a Bollywood movie when we get back home so you can understand this because it's hard to explain."

"That's fine with me!" He said, continuing to tease me as I drove back to my house.

As we were walking up to the front door, I noticed a big envelope sitting on the steps with my name handwritten on it. The hairs on my neck stood up as I reached down to pick it up with shaky hands.

"What's that?" Eli asked, looking over my shoulder as I unlocked the door. I pressed it closer against me so he couldn't see it. I didn't want him to know.

"Nothing, my brother probably just left it for me. I'll open it later." I said hurriedly, putting it down on the kitchen table. I dragged him into the living room. "Movie time!"

* * *

Sorry that this one is so short! But progress! I'm trying to pace myself a little uploading because I really want to be satisfied with what I put out, because I think that if I'm satisfied, you guys will also be satisfied! Anyway, here's the third chapter, and I hope you guys like it!


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